​“A thermometer isn’t Democrat or Republican. It won’t give you a different number depending on how you vote.”– Dr. Katherine HayhoeAs we have scientists on both the sides of climate change, it is essential to mention that the scientists on one of the sides that agree that climate change is real and global warming is being caused by the human activities, are more than 97% of the total climate scientists. As the scientific debates is over, the world leaders now must think of shaping a healthier and safer planet for our children and the future generations where they could live together in peace with trust, respect and mutual understanding.

The very basic understanding of climate change comes from the study of external (climate) forcing mechanisms or anthropogenic factors that are mainly contributing to the climate change such as the ‘greenhouse effect’, which is caused a result of the emissions of gases known as greenhouse gases — the gases that absorb and radiate thermal energy. The more concentrations of such gases in the atmosphere will surely be the cause of rise in average global temperature. Also, the energy from the Sun that serves as the primary source of energy for our planet’s climate is trapped with these gases in the planet’s atmosphere that continue to radiate heat in different directions within the atmosphere and so the heat is distributed all over. Carbon dioxide is, however, the most commonly produced greenhouse gas by human activities and its emission is the major cause of global warming today. According to the European Commission, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased by 40% since the industrialization began.​This rising temperature will not only result in heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, crop failures and diminishing Arctic ice but also the rising sea levels by melting glaciers and water expansion as the oceans get warmer leading to floods in parts of the world, and this will continue to happen if emissions keep going unchecked. It is, therefore, understandable and scientifically proven how the world is hurtling towards catastrophic environmental changes, which is why every bit of warming matters.

What are the causes of rising emissions and warming apparently?

Industries with smokestacks

Internal combustion engines

Burning of coal, oils (gasoline, diesel, kerosene) and natural gas

Nitrogen-containing fertilizers

Deforestation

Livestock-based emissions

There are more. Hence, climate change is a threat and will have dire consequences on the planet if the process is not slowed down or completely stopped.

The real political agenda.Corporations and industrialist elite of the world earning millions and billions of dollars from fossil fuels annually would never allow their business to be affected in anyway and therefore, will continue to disapprove the concept of climate change. Some would argue that it is not caused by the human activities, while some would argue that we just cannot do anything about it and that it is unpreventable, but the science says the otherwise. Profits being made at the cost of the survival of species by a handful of people dominating the larger planet unfortunately are aimed at destroying the planet and its environment. It is as same as the profits being made by the manufacturers of lethal and devastating weapons protecting millions of dollars instead of millions of human beings while benefiting from bloody conflicts around the world.Quite like many corporations and firms, there are states with their ruling elite refusing to compromise on their ‘interests’ and may publicly accept the climate change and its causes, but practically do little or nothing as that will affect their business. Thankfully, the historic Paris Agreement binds almost all the nations worldwide. Because, if the measures are not taken effectively today, each one will have to pay a heavy price tomorrow.

​Sustainability is a blessing.It has been observed that renewable energy has produced even more jobs than fossil fuel energy in the recent past while indicating the fast-growing energy sectors. There are better and eco-friendly options available for energy production today that must replace fossil fuel rapidly with the fast transition of the world’s economy otherwise leading to environmental destruction. According to gatesnotes.com while citing UNFCCC, European Commission and UNFAO, ‘if cattle were a country, they would rank third in greenhouse gases emissions’. The heatwaves and heavy rainfalls because of such emissions also threaten the agriculture worldwide while the chemical fertilizers being employed by farmers pose triple threat for the climate. Climate-friendly farming is one sustainable way to get rid of nitrous oxide, carbon dioxide and methane with clever soil management to trap emissions.

​Let’s joins hands and act!People who understand have got to do two things:

Educate others on the matter.

Force the local governments (through peaceful and organized activism) as responsible citizens and humans to act wisely for the greater good of the planet and elect such representatives who can lead their countries accordingly.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) of the United Nations released a report earlier this month according to which ‘limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would require rapid, far-reaching and unprecedented changes in all aspects of society’ with its full name as Global Warming of 1.5°C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty. During the period from 1880 to 2012, the planet’s average temperature has already climbed 0.85 degrees Celsius according to the IPCC and its detrimental effects are observable in many parts of the world today. Not only the people-to-people communication, but also state-to-state communication to address climate change is the need of the time and we are already running of time.

In today's world, the thought of being "eco-friendly" has become a popular trend. However, how much does this trend actually help in the overall mission of saving the Earth from total destruction? It seems that Americans are still accustomed to the wasteful lifestyles that they have been living for years. Within the United States, we have the appeal of "non-toxic" smoke stacks that advertise that the only output is steam. But how do the people who live around the factory truly know this is regulated? Automotive companies advertise their "clean exhaust" systems, but no exhaust system is clean because they all associate with combustion of some sort. How about we strive for no combustion? Well, that too has its problems. The amount of power used by renewable energy sources is incomparable to its fossil fuel competitors. That will need to be changed along with the transition from gas engines to electric engines, which could take decades. Why don't Americans put their billions of pounds of annual food waste into compost collections so that there would be no need to feed the plants in agriculture because the soil has already been fed with rich, natural nutrients? Because it is easier (and not to mention lazier!) to cover the biodegradable waste along with all the other waste, let it sit for years, and produce methane. All this could happen, however it won't because individuals would rather see short-term riches instead of long-term wellness or they would rather stay put in their comfortable living habits than change them to do their part in helping combat climate change. We, as people who recognize the changing patterns of our Earth, will unfortunately need to accommodate even to the most lazy people in our efforts in order to gain 100% support.

Reply

Joshua

12/7/2018 08:57:04 am

What can we do about climate change? The seems to be a frequently asked question by people. There are those who believe that climate change is something that is happening but is not at all impacted by humans. They ask this question almost sarcastically “What can we do about it? It’s not our fault”. Then there are those who recognize climate change as a problem caused by humans. They ask this question to show that they care, but do nothing to fix the problem, “What can we do about it? I want to help, but I don’t se how I, one person, can help.” Many people ask this question, but it is the wrong question. We should be asking what will we do about climate change. We know what we can do. We can switch to cleaner forms of energy such as solar energy or wind energy. We can drive electric cars to reduce carbon emissions, we can use eco-friendly fertilizer, we can stop deforestation, and more. There is a plethora of things we can do about climate change, but we won’t do anything because climate change has become a political issue. We could invest our money in furthering solar energy capabilities or developing hydrogen energy, but we don’t. Sure, it will be costly and take time, but isn’t it worth it to prevent the billions of dollars in disasters that climate change ill cause. Many people could drive electric cars, but they would rather drive big and loud gas guzzlers at the cost of dooming our planet. Many big companies make their money off the exploitation of fossil fuels even though they know the effects. They could attempt to make the switch to the development cleaner energy, but no that might hurt their bank account a little. Let’s melt some ice caps instead. People need to stop asking What can we do about climate change and start asking what will we do.

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Alina Endres

12/9/2018 09:36:16 pm

Carbon dioxide is one of the most significant factors in the 0.85 C increase in temperature and its concentration has increased by 40% since industrialization, and I am interested in whether the relationship between concentration of CO2 and temperature increase is linear, exponential, etc. If the relationship is exponential that certainly adds to the need to drastically decrease CO2 as quickly as possible. Cattle are a huge source of greenhouse gases emission, and I am interested in what can be changed within the industry to decrease greenhouse gas emissions or if the only solution is to have less cattle. Additionally I am curious about what the alternatives to chemical fertilizers are and how their cost and effectiveness compares to chemical fertilizers. Having the government subsidize the implementation of climate-friendly farms or give tax cuts to climate-friendly farms seems to be an easy, sustainable, and relatively cheap way for governments to lower greenhouse gas emissions.

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Nicole Van Meerbeke

12/11/2018 02:08:08 pm

Politicians can find a way to make anything about the polls. Global warming has been and is a huge issue that directly effects the next generation and those to follow. For so long. we kicked the can down the road thinking it isn't a pressing issue for today's society and guess what, now it is. It's a shame that this issue has turned into some political debate when the science is right in front of our eyes. Regardless of what you believe, this issue will only get worse if we don't do something now. One language politicians speak clearly is money and global warming is now a financial issue as well. Hopefully this will start to speak volumes and change can be made to save those future generations to come.

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Abigail W

12/12/2018 03:27:19 pm

Well written! I appreciate the focus on the science of climate change and the progression to mitigation, how else should people mitigate for climate change. Without the government intervening, is it possible to create the change necessary to reach our goals to eliminate gas emissions and reverse the scientific effects of climate change?
It's important to remember the science behind climate change and what we as individuals and groups can accomplish. The power and influence is of the government is substantial to seeing the change we need. While the concept of climate change is solely on scientific observations, I think climate change does rely on political support to effectively mitigate improvements.

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Haylie

12/12/2018 08:20:26 pm

Many people try to make climate change and global warming a political issue, when in reality it’s an issue that will affect everyone. It seems as if the issue is constantly put on the back burner and we have less and less time to make a difference. Politicians, especially in America, need to start making efforts to decrease carbon emissions. Most politicians tend to follow the money trail and although taking the necessary steps will cost a lot of money, it is necessary for our future. There is only one Earth and it’s worth protecting. Stop taking the lazy way out and work together as a global community to address climate change.